(JARED'S POV)I instantly stepped on the brake pedal, reversing the car, and speeding off in the direction of the restaurant. On arrival, true to the reporter's words, the restaurant had been in a fire accident.My heart continued to thud as I approached the crowd of people compromising the fire department, customers, and staff. I used my eyes to search for Arielle.With each passing moment that I didn't set eyes on her, my heart clenched in my chest, as I tried not to think of the worst. When I couldn't find her in the crowd, I decided to approach any of the staff. Who knows, maybe she was absent from work today. With that feeble consolation, I approached Rebecca, whom I had spotted."Hey, Rebecca, are you alright?" I asked, genuinely concerned and not because I wanted information from her only.She looked at me, surprised but nodded. "Y–yes, I'm fine, thanks.""I'm so sorry about what happened," I said, and then glancing around, asked, "Where's Arielle?"She looked at me like one
(JARED'S POV)"What do you think your mother wants to talk to us about?" Sofia asked, breaking the silence in the car.We were on the way to my mother's place for dinner the next day, and Sofia wouldn't stop worrying about the motive behind the invitation.I shrugged. "I don't know.""I hope it's not for something bad," she went on."Yeah, me too."We drove in silence for a few more moments until Sofia spoke up again. "Are you sure you're okay? Your mood hasn't been your best since you returned home yesterday.""I'm fine," I responded, keeping my eyes fixed on the road. There was no way I was going to tell her that I had been worried about Arielle since yesterday. No way. It was going to cause another rift.Sofia nodded and looked out the window.We soon arrived at my mother's house, and the butler was already waiting at the door to take our coats. My mother was a fan of having numerous staff with different job descriptions, unlike me, who liked my space."Welcome, sir, Madam," th
(ARIELLE'S POV) I had arrived in Italy and settled in, although the first week was a maze of orientation and waiting for students who had delays in arrival, to arrive. The academy provided accommodations, but I chose to stay outside campus due to my pregnant state. I got a decent apartment and spent the week touring the city, registering for antenatal in a hospital, and keeping in touch with Mom and Ashley. But none of it filled the emptiness gnawing inside me. Late at night, when the city was quiet and my thoughts drifted back to Jared and the child I had lost, I felt the weight of it all. I tried hard to stay distracted, burying myself in activities so I wouldn’t have to remember those painful memories. Classes finally began, and during a break, I stepped out for some fresh air. As I made my way through the courtyard, my heart skipped a beat.A familiar figure caught my eye—broad shoulders, tall frame, dark hair... My breath hitched. Jared?But when he turned around, I imme
(JARED'S POV)Eight months—it’s been eight months, but it feels like an eternity. My life has spiraled in ways I never anticipated, and not for the better. Sofia and I... we were never meant to be. I see that now.What started as an escape—maybe from my own demons—has become another prison, one I built with my own hands. Regret gnaws at me, but it’s too late. Too late to fix what I’ve broken.The moment Sofia lost the baby, everything changed. I wasn’t ready for it—not for the life she carried, and certainly not for its loss. But as the weight of the grief sank in, I realized it wasn’t just her child I was mourning.It was the child I lost with Arielle.The one I could have had. The one I wasn’t there for.I can still hear Sofia’s voice from that day—shrill, desperate. It rings in my ears even now, haunting me in quiet moments.(Flashback)I was knee-deep in paperwork, trying to escape into the dull routine of the office when my phone buzzed on my desk. Sofia’s name flashed on the scr
(JARED’S POV) I watched in horror as Sofia's grip on the laptop tightened. "Sofia, please," I begged, trying to keep my voice low and not aggravate things. "Don't do this. That laptop has very important files and contacts." "Important files and contacts?" she sneered. "Or just important contacts?" "Sofia, stop this," I warned, my patience wearing off. "I'll stop when you fire that secretary of yours," she spat. My jaws clenched, as I paused to weigh my options. I couldn't afford to lose these files. "Fine, I'll fire her." Sofia's expression changed a little now, a sly smile spreading on her face. "Do it now." I grabbed the intercom, my hands heavy with reluctance. "Brooke, you're fired, effective immediately." Brooke's voice came through the intercom. "Sir, please...what did I do?" But I ended the call, unable to best her pleas. "Satisfied?" I asked Sofia, my eyes hard, and my tone cold. "No," she replied, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Promise you'll come hom
(JARED'S POV) At the close of work, I packed up, ready to leave. I was reluctant to go home at first, but then, I had to if I didn't want Sofia to create another scene. And besides, I couldn't keep running away from my own house. On arriving home, Sofia welcomed me with a hug. I recoiled at her touch, I've been doing that lately. It amazed me how she could act normal after the stunt she pulled at my office earlier. "Hey, how was your day?" She asked, her voice dripping with fake sweetness that I could decipher. "Fantastic, all thanks to you," I responded sarcastically while moving toward the stairs. Her smile faltered, but she said nothing. I got inside my room, our room rather, because Sofia had insisted on moving in since we were engaged and soon to be married. Just then, my phone rang. It was my mother calling. "Hello, Mom," I answered. "My dear, how're you?" Her familiar soothing voice breezed in. "I'm fine, Mom. Just got back from work." "Alright. I have som
(JARED'S POV)Her name, in her handwriting. Keeping a diary? This is too old-shool, just what Arielle would do. How could I never realize she had this habit? My pulse quickened as I skimmed through the next few pages, my eyes searching for anything—anything that would bring me closer to understanding what I had lost.I came upon an entry, and the words on the page seemed to leap out at me."I discovered I was pregnant today. I’ve been having the symptoms, so I went to see a doctor. It’s confirmed, I’m going to be a mother! I can’t wait to tell Jared… he’s going to be so happy."The excitement in her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I could almost hear her voice in my head, the same way she used to look at me with that hopeful smile. My hands tightened around the diary as my chest constricted painfully. Our child.I flipped to the next page, my eyes scanning the next entry."I was going to break the news to Jared tonight at our anniversary dinner, but he left on a work call and ha
(Jared's POV)My hands trembled as I closed the diary, barely processing the words still echoing in my mind. Just then, I heard footsteps outside the door, snapping me out of my daze.The door creaked open, and Sofia strode in, her face already set in its usual frown. She stopped when she saw me, her eyes narrowing with suspicion."Sofia," I rasped, my throat tight, "we need to talk."She paused, eyebrows raised. "What’s this about?"I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I held up the diary. "Do you recognize this?"Her eyes flickered—recognition, maybe fear—but she quickly masked it with indifference. "No. Why would I?""I think you do," I said, my voice low but steady. "Look closer."She hesitated, taking the diary from my hands, her fingers brushing over the worn cover. "It’s just a diary, Jared." She pushed it back to me, dismissively. "Where did you find this?"I ignored her question. "Did you hide it?"Her eyes darted, the discomfort obvious now. "Why would I hide something like
(ARIELLE’S POV)I turned swiftly, and my eyes met Dwayne's who was leaning in the door frame, his eyes boring into mine. "You scared me," I said, frowning."I'm sorry about that," he replied, leaving the door and walking towards me. "It wasn't intentional.""How long have you been standing there?" I asked, my eyes narrowing suspiciously at him."Long enough to make out a few details about your conversation," he said, sitting next to me on the couch. "And I saw the news."I sighed, feeling a bit uneasy about him knowing about Jared's situation. "What do you think is going on?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me."I think he's gotten himself into a mess. But that's not surprising, is it?"I raised an eyebrow, sensing something else beneath his tone. "What do you mean?""Come on, Arielle, don't act obtuse. You know one way or the other, Jared will always be entwined with Sofia and her family. ""I don't understand...""Alright, I'll make you. Jared's always been cautious an
(JARED'S POV) “Ma’am, you need to quiet down. You’re drawing so much attention to us,” Tiana rushed over to restrain her. “Let them hear! Let the world hear, Jared Smith, you wicked man!” Sofia’s mother screamed, her voice raw with grief and fury. “It’s your fault my daughter is in that ICU, fighting for her life! If anything happens to her, I swear to God, you will pay for this!” Her words were like a slap, each one stinging with a venom. I took a step back, trying to keep my own voice steady, trying to keep control. “Come on, ma’am, this isn’t the time for this. This isn’t the place for this kind of conversation.” “I’ll speak my mind whenever I damn well please, Jared!” she spat, her face twisted with anger. It was then that I saw him—the man standing at her side. Sofia’s father. I had no idea he was here. Wasn’t he supposed to be recovering from his illness? What was he doing here, in the same hospital as Sofia? Sofia’s father took off the oxygen mask he’d been holding against
(JARED’S POV.)The room was still covered in a cloud of smoke. I stood in a state of confusion, unsure whether to start cleaning the kitchen from the pan on the floor or the lump of burnt ginseng lying on the other side of the kitchen. Then there was the cooktop to clean out.Arielle shook her head and opened the windows wider to let out the smoke.“Oh yeah,” I cursed under my breath and beat her to open the sliding glass doors that led to the backyard.“What were you even cooking?” she asked, with an amused smile.“I was trying to cook some soup,” I replied like a child caught doing something silly.Dwayne, unbothered by the chaos, continued preparing his Caesar salad. “I told him to stick to stocks and shares, but he didn’t listen,” he chuckled, clearly finding this whole thing amusing.“This is all funny to you, right? Well, it’s all your fault. If you hadn’t riled me up I’d have kept my focus on the pan and none of this would have happened,” I pointed at him accusingly.Dwayne shr
(JARED’S POV)I couldn’t quite put what I was doing in the kitchen into the adequate words, but I felt my way through it. I pulled out a pan from the cupboard above me and placed it down on the cooktop. Moments later, Dwayne shuffled into the room.Arielle had fallen asleep on our watch— more like she’d asked us to give her space to rest from our bickering. It was always Dwayne instigating fights and bickering.“You’re not given up on seeking me out, huh?” I said to him with a little eye roll.He let out a scoff and walked past me to the other end of the kitchen. “You wish. I’m here for something better. You’re not worth my time,” he said.I bit back a sharp retort and pretended his words hadn’t sent a convulsing sting down my spine. He was clearly in the kitchen for some silly competition. But I was more than ready for him this time. Arielle was yet to touch either of our flasks which were cooling away in the fridge somewhere. So technically, we didn’t have any place making more food
(ARIELLE’S POV)I turned in my sleep. My left side was beginning to hurt from lying on it for too long. Morning sounds floated around me, and I dated a peek out the open window from my lying position. The lights hit my eye with such harshness that I shut them back and willed myself to go back to sleep. I was very grateful to be lying on my own bed, in my own room, under my own roof, far away from the smell of disinfectant and air freshener laced with a myriad of medicine smells. I felt nauseous at the mere thought. This felt good— being back in my room felt good.But apparently, fate had other plans because almost immediately I settled in for another round of sleep, the sound of the doorbell ringing through the house filled my ears and chased away whatever little tranquility I was trying to savor.The ringing didn’t stop no matter how hard I tried to will it away into nonexistence. I let out a weak sigh and gently threw the bed covers off my body. I swung my legs down to the floor wit
(DWAYNE’S POV)I paused in my tracks as I took some moment to take in the sight before me. Arielle was sitting up on the bed, while Jared sat at the foot, feeding her. Scanning the room further, I realized there was no sign of Mrs Meyers and Maverick.Where could they be? But the sight before me wouldn't let me dwell much on the thought. It was hard to ascertain how I felt at the moment. The scene playing out before me was proof that all my efforts have been wasted. I briefly stared down at the food package in my hand, and for a moment, I wanted to match over to Jared and haul him away from her.That was supposed to be me. How come he was here this early, earlier than I was? From the look of things, it seemed I wasn't the only one who had the plan of returning early to the hospital this morning.If only that traffic that occurred on my way here didn't happen, I probably wouldn't be in this position. And Jared wouldn't be having the time of his life smirking at me triumphantly.“I dou
(JARED'S POV)"Are you in that much hurry to get rid of us?" I asked Maverick, raising a brow as I tried to stifle a grin. He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with more mischief. "Maybe. My mommy needs rest and she doesn't need two bodyguards watching over her."Dwayne and I exchanged puzzled looks. What was this kid saying? We were trying to protect his mother, not guard her like prisoners. As if on cue, Mrs Meyers, who was almost dozing off on her seat, stirred and opened her eyes. She tiredly stretched her arms, and then her eyes landed on us."It's time for you two to leave," she announced, her voice gentle but firm. "You should go home, freshen up, and have a change of clothes and proper meals. I appreciate you both coming, but I just have to insist that you leave."Dwayne and I protested in unison. "We're fine–" but she held up a hand, cutting us off."I mean it, you two. You can't stay here all night. Besides, I'm sure you both have work to attend to tomorrow." She glanced at t
JARED’S POV)I arrived at the office, intent on doing a little work before returning to the hospital. But concentration never felt like a Herculean task like it felt for me today. The more I tried to focus on work, the more my mind remained restless. My thoughts kept drifting back to Arielle, wondering if she was okay. And the other times, it wandered to Oliver, and if he has been able to get the drug from Sofia.Two hours later, as I sat behind my laptop, fiddling with the keys, Oliver returned. "I got the drug," he said, his face in a smile as he walked in and closed the door behind him.I sat up in my chair, my eyes conveying my curiosity. "That easy?" I asked, my tone skeptical.He sighed, taking a seat in front of my desk. "Miss Sofia refused at first–wouldn't even open the door," he explained. "But then Miss Tiana intervened, spoke to her privately for a while and that did the trick because the next minute, she walked out smiling, the drug in her hand."I frowned, my eyes dilat
(JARED’S POV) I lowered my head in remorse, and when I stole a glance at Dwayne, he had the same sober look on. Fair enough, I wasn't the only one facing the brunt of Mrs Meyer's chastisement. I tried to say something, to apologize for our juvenile display at least, but Dwayne beat me to it. "Umm...we will go get some fresh air," he said, his voice collected. "We will give you and Arielle some space." My brows knitted in a frown, as I felt the urge to snap and demand why he'd decide for us both. But I got in touch with my emotions real quick, taking an inward breath as I realized he was right. We're both grown men, and this wasn't the time for us to be at each other's throats. Not when Arielle was ill. We owe her that respect and decorum. So I nodded at Mrs Meyers in agreement. "Yeah, well step out now." She rolled her eyes, eyeing us both. "You had better." We took that as a cue and simultaneously turned for the door, but we bumped into each other as we went. I shot Dwayne a dir